What school kids give me that Hollywood can't.
As a volunteer, I created The Shakespeare Club, an after-school program for 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. Together we grapple with the Bard, life and each other. These are the tales.

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Monday, July 19, 2010

When Celia joined The Shakespeare Club last year, she desperately wanted to act — and I desperately wanted her to — but she could not find her voice. She assured me that inside her head she had a big voice, but it wasn't coming out. Celia played non-speaking roles in "Twelfth Night."

This year I asked if she would like to be our stage manager and she agreed. I gave her the special stage manager's binder with pencils, paper, an eraser, script and cast list.

By the time we were ready to try run-throughs, I asked Celia take to notes that she would deliver to the cast. I recommended that she be gentle because the actors were nervous about their work.

She designed two columns in her binder:

COMPLIEMENTS

CHANGES

Dom: good voice Horor

Witches: don't fade at the end

Garth: good vioce

Bettina: speak louder

Millie: holding the baby keep up with the voice

Natalie: fase forward when others speak

Oliver: good acting, tommarrow wife dead

Phoebe: speak up

Oliver, Dom: good fighting

Murders: neal like there is a King

Good job: Mark when find out about your father dieing

Garth: speak properly Villiones crime

Lizzie: good job, Beyond my practice...

Party: don't talk in backround or drag your feet, don't play around

Good Job Everybody

Chloe: hurry with what you need to do

Celia found her voice and they listened.

CHILDREN'S WRITES: A Journal Entry

I would like to know,.....

1. If I'm going to be rich2. going to be poor3. where I would live4. if I'm going to have a lot of clothes5. if I'm going to have kids6. how many kids I'm going to have7. If I'm going to have a big house8. what my kids would look like9. what my kids names would be10. how I would look like